Who Is The Real Natasha Jonas?
Natasha Jonas boxes Lauren Price on March 7 in a welterweight unification, as we look at things fans may not know about her.
Jonas is looking to make more history, having unified at 147 and 154 pounds. She unified the welterweight division in her last fight after beating Ivana Habazin to add the WBC belt to her IBF title. Price joined Jonas in the ring to demand that fight. Price boxed on the same card as Jonas in her last bout, stopping Bexcy Mateus to keep her WBA, IBO and Ring Magazine Belts. The winner of Jonas vs. Price will be in a position to face the WBO Welterweight Champion Mikaela Mayer for the Undisputed Welterweight Championship. Here are things Jonas shared from her life in the run-up to the bout.
The Real Jonas
Two-weight world champion and you’re about to embark on another huge unification fight against Lauren Price.
But it wasn’t always boxing, was it? No, football was your first love. How did that come about?
I think it’s just an inexpensive sport that keeps kids entertained for hours, and all you need is one ball and the whole street’s involved. I had two older boy cousins that wherever they went, I went. And obviously, being boys, they just went and played football. So their little cousin Tasha came with them. One was good, one was terrible, and he always used to get picked before me. I was absolutely raging about it because I knew I was better but promised myself that I’d eventually start getting picked before him—and I did.
What kind of jobs did you have?
Mostly telemarketing. I won’t name companies, but there was a lot of phone bashing—shops, insurance, water, gas. I’d be fine on Friday, skipping out. But by Monday, I’d be phoning in sick. There’s only so many times you can do that before they sack you.
What was it like walking into that gym for the first time?
I started off in a women’s keep-fit session. After a while, the coach told me, “I think you’re good enough to fight for us, but you’d have to move to the lads’ session.” There were no girls at the time. I remember walking in the first day and everyone turning to look at me. [And] I was a lot older than the young lads, and I was a woman. I felt like that little girl playing football again.
Further Quotes
What was the dream for you in boxing?
Just to have my name on the wall. Everyone who ever won anything big—ABAs, NBCs, Commonwealths—had a plaque on the wall in the gym. Every day, I’d go in and see names like Joey Frost and Tony Bellew. There was a Jonas gap right there. I wanted my name on that wall.
Who were the sporty ones in your family?
Everyone’s just competitive. It kind of started with my mom’s generation. My uncle was a professional bodybuilder, my other uncle represented GB in karate, my mom was a dancer, and she was a really good runner at one stage. Everyone’s just active. But they never let the kids win. It was only when I got to about GB level that I actually beat them at something.
Find all the latest boxing news and MMA breaking updates on boxingnews.com.
